Reviews of Barcelo Las Perlas Hotel, Cancun, Mexico

it was crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mrs Maz M

Comments:

it was crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how ever the over all staff was all right drinks was all right but watered down needed loads to get pissed was also eaten alive by the big bugs through the hotel covering one of the pools so that attracted them the entertainment was good but finished early so had nothing to do for rest of night as had children with me all the entertainment was finished no later that ten the food was defentley crap as done the same every night and diffrent colourings to make it look different over all Mexico is a lovely place out side the hotel but the weather was not brill at times as time of year

Sorry folks but unfortunately...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs L Towers

Comments:

Sorry folks but unfortunately this is a bad review. I was looking forward to spending 2 weeks at this hotel and I was sorely disappointed, it was not a good experience.



Before I rant and rave, I do have to say that the rooms were clean although they are very basic, however I would never have survived they were dirty.



The main problem with this hotel is the staff, they really are not helpful at all, everything seems hard work to them. If you ask for towels they pull their face. If you go back to bar for a coke they look at you as though you are abusing the all inclusive that you paid for.



The food was sickening and I mean literally sickening. Most of the hotel was ill and I lived off chip butties for 2 weeks. The food is all the same but called another name etc and it doesn’t look appealing never mind taste it.



Although they say they have security so that no sellers can come on, it really isn’t the case. You are constantly hassled when trying to relax. You expect it when you’re out in the towns but not when your semi naked trying to catch the rays.



Many people including myself had money and items taken from the room, yet we were not broke into. It was a terrible experience and I won’t go back to this hotel again.

Had a great time at this hotel...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2005

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Other L Packer

Comments:

Had a great time at this hotel when I stayed there for 2 weeks. Its in a prime spot on the white sandy beach and there is security on so you don’t get people hassling you when you try to relax etc. It was great.



The hotel itself is not the poshest I have been to but it is lovely and clean and the staff are fantastic. They really did help to make our holiday one of the best ever.



The food was great, there are some unusual dishes but hey that’s the beauty of being abroad, you can try new dishes that you would not normally try. Also the bar staff have a great laugh with you as do the beach hut staff.



Managed to do some water sports this year and the waters are fantastically clear. I would book for this hotel again.

Spent 2 weeks here and no way...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mrs L Evans

Comments:

Spent 2 weeks here and no way would I go back. I never got a cheap package deal when I booked and it cost me a fortune to take my children.



If there had been no nice weather my holiday would have been a nightmare as the hotel is a joke.



The maids can’t be trusted, the chef needs the sack and the bar staff are plain ignorant.



Think before you book because I would say... don't do it.

If you are a picky person you...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs V Schofield

Comments:

If you are a picky person you cannot stay here. I took 5 children over there and had 2 rooms and none of them were exactly good even though the holiday cost me over £4000.



I would never stay there again and I wouldn't recommend it to people who can get a better hotel for same price.



The staff at the front desk were not cooperative, the hotel maids did not wash our sheets they simply rotated them and thought we wouldn't know.



However the hotel policeman was fantastic and spent lots of time with my children who were fascinated with the fact that he carried a gun.



The food was appalling in the evening it was the same sort of meal each day but a different colour food colouring used or another vegetable added.



We made the kitchen staff make us what we wanted and although they said it had to be at a set time, they finally agreed to make it when the kids were hungry.



The beach was lovely and the guys in the beach hut were always helpful and friendly. However don’t eat dinner on the beach because the pelicans appear and they can get quite near you. That sounds fun until you see the size of their mouths and then all you can do is run ha-ha.



The rooms have mini bars in and I would advise you to put a padlock on and restock everything you use before it’s checked on your departure.



This will allow you to check out quickly as many of the people there were charged for items they had not used and they had to pay before their passports were given back.



They also tried to charge me for a sheet that they said I burnt with a cigarette which is pretty unbelievable when I don’t smoke. They wanted 40.00 off me however after heated conversations they finally returned my passports, but, please be careful if you do go as many people were in tears as they now had no money to pay to get out of the country.

An unbeatable holiday, simple...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2004

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Miss Km Murphy

Comments:

An unbeatable holiday, simple but clean hotel with amazing views and fantastic staff and entertainment, made you feel really welcome. Free activities organised during the day and lead to the most popular clubs in the night.



Visit clubs like la boom, coco bongo, daddios and daddy rock to really experience the famous Cancun nightlife.



Participate in as many excursions as you can manage/afford, but don’t miss out on swimming with the dolphins and horse riding along the beach to make your holiday even more unforgettable.

We were unfortunate enough to be...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2005

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss A Rose

Comments:

We were unfortunate enough to be in Cancun when Hurricane Wilma hit this year, a massive disaster for the area. I can safely say that without the staff of the hotel we would have been in grave danger. They moved us efficiently to a school shelter and essentially continued to run the hotel from there. In the midsts of 280kmh winds they supplied us with cooked food and drinks and ensured our utmost safety. I will forever be thankful to the staff, especially Josh.



Before the hurricane we were very pleased with the hotel. It was certainly worth the money. The rooms were very clean and comfortable, the food was delicious, with such a range of foods, the free drinks were brilliant (a little tip goes a long way) and the staff were fantastic. They always had a smile and chatted to you. They are very welcoming people.



The beach was clean, with sun loungers, possibly not enough. The sea isn't the clear blue that the Caribbean side is, but it's still nice.



After our experience I'd recommend anyone to go to this hotel. If that's how they looked after us in such awful conditions, then imagine how they can run a hotel on a daily basis.

In contrast to all the poor...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs Tracy B

Comments:

In contrast to all the poor reviews that this hotel seems to get, a holiday is what you make it, and never more so than this holiday.



We were unfortunate to be in Cancun at the time of Hurricane Emily, but I have to say that the way that way the hotel handled the situation was amazing. We arrived on the Monday evening and were aware that the Hurricane was due to hit by the weekend. On the Saturday we were informed that all the hotel guests and staff would be evacuated to a shelter at 5.30am on the Sunday and to meet in the hotel lobby. All the guests were sent to a school in downtown Cancun on a fleet of buses.



Whilst the situation could have been your worst nightmare come true, the staff were incredible. The catering staff provided food throughout the day and a half that we spent at the shelter, and the entertainment staff were on hand to provide music and helped to keep spirits up.



We were kept informed throughout the day of the hurricane, and had to go to our rooms at about 7pm where we were looked after by security staff. Congratulations to all the people who helped to make the situation bearable and indeed who all bonded together to laugh at what was happening to us, and to actually make the 2 days almost enjoyable. Thanks again to everybody who 'mucked in' to tidy up the shelter, and once we were back to the hotel to everybody who helped tidy the beach, even empty the swimming pool and help with the maids to tidy up all the rooms.



Due to the effects of the hurricane, we were without a swimming pool for 3 days, the buffet restaurant and a couple of the bars, but it is a credit to everybody who stayed at the hotel that everybody just got on with it, and enjoyed the hotel for what it was. The conduct of the staff during our time at the shelter in not wanting our holiday to be ruined will be a lasting memory of this hotel, as they were amazing.



The food is fairly repetitive, but good nonetheless, and the a-la-care restaurant is very nice, particularly the coffee that is really a 'coffee show'.



Josh the entertainment guy deserves a special mention, as he works so hard, day and night !!



The only downside to this holiday is that the bars shut at 12 midnight prompt !



The bus service is outstanding, only 6.5 pesos into Cancun, and the buses literally run every 60 seconds and for 24 hours a day, and a taxi is only 500 pesos (5 dollars) back from Cancun.



We were fortunate to go to Chichen Itza the day before the hurricane and it is well worth a visit, but it is 3 hours away on the coach (including a visit to a handicrafts shop!), and the speedboats are excellent. The Pirate ship is also a good trip, but definitely try the bar crawl with the reps as this is a great night and you get to see 3 bars, and a nightclub with loads of drink included.



We also got to go to Coco Bongo’s, you must go there if you can !!

We went on holiday with our...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr D Thomas

Comments:

We went on holiday with our young son who was 18 months and my wife’s parents. We booked it a year in advance as we do most of our holidays and at time of booking it was advertised as a family hotel.



When we got there it was in the middle of a storm and was pouring with rain. We were given our keys and found that despite reception promising there was a cot in our room as promised and ordered in advance there wasn’t. Two visits to reception later and two maids were sent out into the rain with bedding and a maintenance man with the cot. We had to keep our son up for a while the bedding dried out.



We quickly realised that there were in fact no facilities at all for children despite all the staff being very friendly and constantly picking him up for a cuddle. There is no children’s pool or separate section to the large pool so while teaching him to swim one end we were constantly watching for footballs being thrown from the other end. We had a room overlooking the beach and were amazed at the people that got up and sneaked onto the beach at 5.30am in order to put their towels out on the beds near the three shade umbrellas and then go back to bed in order to reappear around 11am! The rest of us were at the sun’s mercy and it does get very hot. Hardly any shade around the pool either.



The shows in the evening were okay except between June and September is the rainy season and not only does that mean hurricane’s and tropical storms but worse than that midges constantly biting you in the evenings. We were getting approx. 6 bites each per night and dealing with a bitten baby in the morning when they come up is not easy! Not the hotel’s fault but it meant we spent the final week’s evenings in our rooms playing cards rather than risk going out and get bitten alive.



To sum up the reception staff and all the Cancun people in general were very pleasant and I remain in touch with a couple by E Mail but it is not suitable for young families. When we got home to complain to Thomson we found they had amended their brochure to a couples hotel rather than family and from speaking to the staff out their it is due to become an 18 to 30 hotel in 2006 which I must say it is very suited to.

My wife and I stayed at this...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr A Oulton

Comments:

My wife and I stayed at this hotel for the first two weeks in June 2005. We had read some bad news about the hotel, so we were unsure what to find on arrival.



Before we comment on the hotel, a couple of points on the outward journey, we flew on an airbus a330, a massive plane with personal TV’s etc, so the 10 hour flight wasn’t too bad. The 'fun' begins at Cancun airport, ensure you have bottled water with you, as the wait for cases and going through customs can take over two hours. Also ignore the staff who offer to help with cases, they just want your money to hand you a trolley!



The hotel is clean and the staff very helpful. We were not happy with our room on arrival, it was dark in there even with the curtains open, and very noisy as it overlooked the very busy main road. It was changed for us to a ground floor room, which was much better.



We had problems with our TV and fridge but these were fixed straight away. The room was cleaned every day, fresh towels were supplied daily, and the fridge in the room was re-stocked with 'pop' water and beer every couple of days.



The food was simple but good, there is a theme each evening, and if you want you can eat burgers and chips, which are available throughout the day. We found that if you slip the waiter a few dollars he looks after you all week, fetching drinks to you table, etc.



There are two bars, drinks are ok, a bit weak, but the cocktails are good. The bars open from about 10 am to midnight.



The beach is excellent, white sand and palm trees. The sea is very warm and crystal clear. There is a lack of sunbeds, some visitors must be up at dawn to reserve them! Shade is also a problem, as the heat can become very 'bad' at times. Free beach towels are supplied each day, and all non-powered water equipment is free too.



Entertainment at night is ok, with shows and singers, etc. during the day it is dire! They seem to think everyone wants to do volleyball, etc, whereas most people want to lie in the sun! There was a few noisy American youths in the hotel, but on the whole we saw or heard no trouble, we did hear stories of guests having trouble with staff, etc, but we didn’t see anything ourselves.



There are plenty of trips available, we went on two, Xcaret is a good one. The local bus service is amazing, with a bus every couple of minutes, the fare is just a few Paso’s for any destination. There are plenty of clubs and suchlike in the town, and its very busy at night in Cancun to say the least!



On the whole this is a simple value for money hotel, don’t expect 5 star treatment and facilities as you won’t get it. But it is clean and we had a good break. (Alan & Lorraine, 48 & 47)

My boyfriend and I went to the...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2005

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss K Taylor

Comments:

My boyfriend and I went to the Barcelo Club Las Perlas with the teeniest bit of apprehension. We’d read a few reviews of the hotel on the Internet prior to booking the holiday and got some mixed reviews from other people. We needn’t have worried!



We arrived at the hotel after a LONG journey to be pleasantly surprised. The reception was absolutely spotless and there were lots of really friendly staff cleaning. I’m a bit of a hygiene-freak and so to see this was reassuring.



Our room was huge! (Big enough to accommodate all of my shoes anyway!!) The cleaners worked really, really hard. They came in every single day and cleaned from top to bottom. We had clean towels everyday and our fridge was restocked with coke, diet coke, fanta, beer and water every 3 days which was a god send.



The bar staff were fantastic (especially Gilberto!!). They were really friendly and we ended up getting on really well with them. By the end of the night they’d be drunk themselves! It all made for a great atmosphere though.



The pool at the hotel isn't great, but the beach more than makes up for it. We had a walk along the beach and passed several 4/5* hotels. We easily had the best stretch of beach, which was raked for seaweed every single day. There were no rocks and we had a really big swimming area.



The food was great! There was a really big variety and most of it was to a really high standard. There were snacks being served all day long and they didn’t stop at meal times. They had a bbq every day that was just for snacks. Basically, you can eat at any time of the day you want. There was never a moment from 7.30am until 10.30am at night where you couldn’t get food. And there is a small shop in the hotel that sells crisps and choccy bars which is really handy!



The hotel entertainment was okay. One thing for sure is that the staff tried hard. The shows were repeated on a weekly basis, but once you’ve drunk a few cocktails you don’t really notice! They all end at 10.30 the latest so if you want an early night with minimal noise then you can.



The hotel is definitely suited for young couples. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for families. There isn't anything that really caters for children and there were only a handful of families at the hotel. I don’t think that Cancun itself is a family friendly resort, but great for young people/couples with loads of clubs and bars. Mind you - there were just as many older couples out there having a great time!



I think we were quite lucky with the room we got. We heard a small handful of people complaining, but then they knew that they weren’t going to stay at a big fancy hotel.



All in all (after that ramble!!), I could not recommend this hotel highly enough. Excellent value for money. It’s not one of the big plush ones out there but for what you get it is absolutely FANTASTIC! GO AND BOOK IT NOW!

Cancun is an amazing resort,...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2004

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss L Bowman

Comments:

Cancun is an amazing resort, lovely beaches that go on and on!!



There are loads of shopping malls where you can get designers like nine west and diesel at cheap prices! My only problem was that I went during American spring break so the place was riddled with young drunk Americans!!



There are also good bars and nightclubs for every age. The hotel was nice, quite small but friendly staff!

Cancun is a place that came...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Room Only

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2002

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

macred

Comments:

Cancun is a place that came highly recommended to me from a few friends, so when I found this accommodation in the Direct Holidays brochure at a very affordable price, I didn’t hesitate to book. However, I think my drinking buddies overstated the benefits of this resort. Cancun is very nice but to be honest, I’ve been to better places for much less without having to cross the Atlantic.



There is a lot to write about Cancun that’s good. The hotels are all very grand, the tourist areas spotlessly clean and the Caribbean waters are that much warmer than the Mediterranean. It’s biggest plus point is the coral reef a mile or so offshore. Snorkelling on this was one of the two big highlights of the holiday. I’d never snorkelled before and the effortless way you can drift with the sea life was beautifully inspiring and relaxing. The other highlight was a visit to the ecology park at Xcaret. Aside from the wildlife to view in a natural environment, there’s plenty other entertainment, from the obligatory dolphin shows, snorkelling through underground caves and the Mayan show at the end of the day. At well as these two delights, it was great just to sit on a Caribbean beach with a drink, watching the pelicans dive for fish.



Nevertheless, I wasn’t overly impressed with the resort. As grand as the hotels were, the seemed characterless to me. The numerous shopping malls were completely soulless (and I didn’t like the way some of the local wildlife was used to entertain the tourists in the malls). There was little variety in the eateries, mostly being American style steakhouses (apart from a couple of expensive exception. The Japanese restaurant was excellent but the price ruled out many visits). Club Las Perlas was certainly not a hotel to write home about. The food was awful, although the cocktail bar on the beach was good. The rooms were basic to say the least and the air conditioning was noisy but I guess that reflects the price (I paid £550 per head for 2 weeks direct from Glasgow). Suffice to say I wouldn’t use this accommodation again.



So overall, it was a nice holiday. It just wasn’t a great one. For similar money, I can find 4* accommodation in France, Italy or Greece, where there just seems to be more character and importantly, no jet lag. Mexico or Italy. There’s no contest as far as I’m concerned.